Breathless
by MsFloofy
Summary: (OC x Nanase Haruka) After an accident that caused her to be mentally unstable, Nakahara Kaito is about to be kicked out of the volleyball team and lose her sports scholarship in Iwatobi High. Can she find home in another sport and know what it really means to be free?
1. Prologue

The sun beat down on me. The heat was stinging hot against my sweaty skin. I placed an arm over my eyes for shade to see the score.

 _Four points to win. Three points for the opposing team. I can do this._

"Time-out!" Coach Sasagawa yelled as he did the hand signal.

The referee blew his whistle, and all of us ran to our respective coaches. I grabbed a towel and wiped my face and listened as coach talked. Mostly, it was all about encouraging us to do our best. Then...

"Kaito, you're next on the service. Hit them with your best shot," Coach Sasagawa grinned and patted me on the shoulder.

The referee blew his whistle, and we were back in the game. The ball was rolled to me. I took it and got into position. I looked at my target. There was an slightly open spot at the back. If I hit there, they would all be kept on their toes.

Once again, the referee blew his whistle. I took a deep breath, my eyes still locked on the target. Then I released the ball.

 _I failed._

The ball only reached our side of the net. I can hear Coach Sasagawa yelling to just shake it off. However, I don't think my teammates were fine with just 'shaking it off.' Their faces became more strained. Their stances became more stiff.

 _Four points to win. Two points for the opposing team._

We were able to gain the next point by blocking the ball. Our team rotated, and I moved to the center. Mimiko, our team's spiker who also happened to be in front of me, grabbed my arm tightly and said, "Don't play around. Be serious. They're onto you. They know you're weak because you're new." She let go of me and went to looked back at the opponents.

I looked at the opposing them. Their hands were at their back. That only meant one thing. Hand signals. They _were_ onto me.

 _Three points to win. Two points for the opposing team._

Our team served, and the opposing team return the ball without difficulty. It was headed towards me. I prepared myself to stop it, but suddenly, I felt someone push my side.

"Don't get it! Move!" Yuu, our team's tosser, yelled and roughly pushed me to the side.

We got the next point.

 _Same score. Both need two points to win._

Everything started to become unreal to me. I couldn't explain it. Everything felt like it was on slow motion. I was being suffocated.

 _Was it the heat?_

I looked up at the sun and welcomed the harsh light that blinded me.

 _No, it wasn't the heat._

Next, it wasn't just suffocating. Something was crushing the inside of my chest. My face was getting wet again. I wiped my cheeks. It was only then when I found out I was crying.

"Stop!" Coach Sasagawa shouted as he pulled me out of the court. He placed me to a corner of the wired fence around the open court. He left and gave orders to a sub who was to take my place in the game.

I staggered to the wired fence and grabbed it to keep me on my toes. My hearing seemed like it got sharpened tenfold. The crowd's screams were all I can hear... and the voices.

I cupped my hands over my head to shut them out. Without the support of my hands, I fell on my knees to the ground. I was able to shut out the noise of the crowd, but the voices became more clear inside my head.

 _"Weak! Don't get it! They're onto you! Move! They know you're weak! Weak! Weak! Weak!"_

I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream for the voices to come out. But I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating. All I could do was shut my eyes and gasp for breath.

I felt myself being carried. Coach Sasagawa took me in his arms and carried me to which would probably be the doctor's office. I opened my eyes. Everything was in slow motion again. The sun was too bright in my eyes.

I was getting sleepy. I still couldn't breathe though. My eyes started to drift shut with one thought in my head.

 _Was I dying?_

* * *

 _What's that smell?_

I groaned and opened my eyes. Atsuko-sensei, the school doctor, hovered over me as she held a vial for whatever it is near my nose. Once she saw me awake, she placed it away.

"You feeling okay there, Nakahara-san?" she asked.

My throat felt dry. Actually, I feel nauseous. But I just nodded to her. It was the worst move I could do though. My head was hurting really bad.

My face must have shown my pain, because Atsuko-sensei gave a small smile and handed me a glass of water and a pill. I sat up and took it. I ran a hand over my face to relieve some of the pressure. My cheeks were still wet, which meant that what happened to me wasn't that long ago.

"What happened to me?" I asked.

"You hyperventilated during the game, so my best guess is that you had a panic attack," Atsuko-sensei answered. "You already fainted when Coach Sasagawa carried you here, so I had to revive you with some aromatic ammonia spirit. I had to make sure your panic attack wasn't too serious."

I stayed quiet as she rummaged around in her stuff. I sighed. The slightest noise of her stuff clashing made my head pound.

"Who won the game?" I asked, not being to help my curiosity.

Atsuko-sensei halted in her movements and stayed silent. Then she started moving but at a slower pace. "It was a close game. The other team won by a point. It wasn't bad," she said.

My head pounded even more. What had me worried was my chest clenching again. It was the regionals game. We didn't even make it to nationals. After all the training we did. All the hard work.

"Nobody blames you, Nakahara-san," Atsuko-sensei said, pulling out a small black bag from a cabinet. She sat beside me and pulled out a machine to check my blood pressure.

 _"Weak! They know you're weak!"_

 _Yeah, right. Like they don't blame me._

"Your blood pressure is low. That's probably from you fainting," Atsuko-sensei noted. She took pressed her fingers on my wrist and counted my pulse. "Your pulse is rising. You have to take it easy. Panic attacks aren't a light matter."

"I'll be fine."

"I am being very serious, Nakahara-san," Atsuko-sensei said. "You should probably see a therapist. When left unchecked, you may have several panic attacks in the future."

"Thank you for the concern, but my mother and I don't have money for a shrink," I stood up. "I'm only here for my scholarship. Besides, I'm a tough kid. I'll be fine." Then I left the infirmary.

* * *

When I went back to the locker room, Tsukiko, our captain ball, was the first to rush to me. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Splendid game, wasn't it? We got them rattled, didn't we? We'll get them next time. Don't worry."

I nodded, smiling lightly. My eyes landed to Mimiko who happened to be with Yuu. They looked upset, and they wouldn't even look at me.

"Everybody," I called. When they looked at me, I bowed, saying, "I apologize for the inconvenience I caused you."

"You damn well should," Yuu sneered. When Tsukiko glared at her in warning, she glared back before storming out of the locker room.

As she left, my other teammates went back to whatever it was they were doing before I came here. That included Tsukiko as well. As I also began to leave the locker room, I realised something.

 _Something was festering inside me, and I didn't like it._

* * *

 **The Free! characters will probably show up in the next chapter. The prologue is just more of a slight flashback.**

 **Feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 1

_**(Author's note: I didn't put much detail about Nakahara Kaito so she will still feel a bit like a reader insert.)**_

"We took our best shot last game at regionals. Next time, we'll do better," Coach Sasagawa said. "Now I want to see more proper sets and spikes." He blew his whistle.

We all moved to the volleyball court and did what coach said. Once Tsukiko tossed the ball, it happened again. I was starting to have a panic attack.

I clutched my chest I began to struggle for breath. Some of my teammates began to move away. Others also move to help me on my feet.

Coach Sasagawa grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up to steady me. "Kaito, nobody can help you," he said. "Only you can help yourself. Steady your breathing. Listen to me!"

I became deaf to his words. As much as I tried, I couldn't hear his words. They were muffled like the last time. The only thing plain clear that I can hear were the voices and the crowd screaming.

I was losing sight of reality.

* * *

I don't really know how long it got me to steady my breathing. But when I did, my other teammates were playing a practice game already. Seeing that I'm no use for today's practice, I left the gym.

Since my legs haven't recovered from the attack, I wobbled across the halls in my P.E. uniform. I want to be in someplace quiet.

* * *

I found myself in the school's swimming pool. I took of my shoes and dipped my feet in the water. It was soothing, and it quieted the voices in my head. I couldn't feel the festering feeling inside me.

"Who are you?"

I turned and saw a guy in a swimsuit. He's obviously in the swimming team. He had black hair and eyes blue as the ocean water. He wasn't that packed with much muscles, but he absolutely had a swimmer's body. Despite his good looking body, he had on this bored expressions, but when he looked at the water, I saw an interesting expression in his blue eyes.

His eyes sparkled in peace as he eyed the water. I chuckled in my head at the word. Peace? I don't have it, and I don't think I ever will.

I don't know how long I looked at him as he just stared at the water.

"Haru-senpai, you can't be here! You already graduated from this club," a girl with burgundy hair came running over to him. I recognized her as Matsuoka Gou. We're in the same class.

"Nakahara-san, what are you doing here?" Gou asked. "Don't you have volleyball practice?"

I took my feet out of the water and put on my shoes even though my feet were still wet. I got up with so much difficulty. My legs still felt like jello.

"Are you alright?" Haru asked, his face showing the slightest emotion.

"I'm fine," I snapped. I didn't mean to. It just came out that way. "I'll leave. I'm sorry to bother your practice."

* * *

Once I got into the gym, everybody was gone, and the basketball team was the one who took over the empty space. I headed to the locker rooms and found our team's libero, Akane-san, the only one left in the room. I went to my locker and started to change.

"U-um~ Nakahara-san?" Akane-san said. Once I looked at her, she looked down and blushed. What a shy person. "The principal was looking for you earlier. He told us to inform you to go to his office once we find you."

 _This can't be good._

* * *

I haven't been in Principal Kitamura's office since I got the sports scholarship I was being offered. Sure, my father pulled a few strings, but I know I got it because of my skills. Skills I used to have.

"Nakahara-san, I have received news that you have some kind of condition that makes you unfit in playing in your team," Principal Kitamura said.

I gulped. "I have it under control, sir," I said. "I'll be fine." Same words, but I don't think I actually believe them myself.

"Well, I have the words of two of your teammates, including your captain ball, that you are unfit to participate in the next games," Principal Kitamura announced gravely.

I deflated. Even Tsukiko-san? So much for believing in your team. But apparently, that wasn't all.

"It was also stated in your scholarship that you must be in a sports team to continue your education here in Iwatobi High," Principal Kitamura informed, his fingers flipping over a file of papers. "I'll be frank with you, Nakahara-san. With your condition, you are more likely to be kicked out of the team. You are either to go into treatment and stay in the team or you find a new sport entirely. I have a feeling this... condition of yours is only in volleyball."

 _Find a new sport? Get treatment?_

"Principal Kitamura, I am sure you are aware of my mother's financial incapability of getting me treatment," I reasoned.

"So, you are going into another sport?"

"That's the thing too," I sighed, running my hand over my locks. "All I've ever done is volleyball. I don't think I can just go into another sport."

"I can't see any reason why you cannot," Principal Kitamura said. "Life is full of adventures, and I can see you are a very versatile person. I know you can do it.

"You have a month. You can find a new sports team or get treatment and remain in the volleyball team."

* * *

 _A month._

I walked down the hallway lost in thought. I was still dazed when I grabbed my outdoor shoes from the shoe locker. When I put them on, they were too big for me.

"U-uh, those are my shoes," a voice said behind me.

I snapped back to reality and turned to face the owner of the voice. It was a boy with blonde wavy locks and a pair of magenta eyes. I can tell that he was one of those happy go lucky people. I think I saw him once in one of my classes. If I'm not mistaken, he's also a part of the swim team since I see him a lot with Matsuoka Gou.

When he pointed at 'my' shoes, I turned to the name on the locker and found it labeled as 'Hazuki Nagisa.' I sighed and took them off and handed the shoes to him. I took my indoor shoes from his locker and walked towards my own locker without speaking a word to him.

Once I put on my own shoes, I returned to my dazed state and walked home.

* * *

 _I took an extra shift at the café. Dinner is in the fridge. Don't wait up for me. -Mom_

I crumpled the letter and went upstairs. Once I got into my room, I leaned back against the door and dropped my bag to the side. I dropped to my knees and covered my face with my hands. Then I did something that I haven't been able to do lately unless I had a panic attack.

 _I cried._

* * *

 ** _Feedback is greatly appreciated.  
_**


	3. Chapter 2

**(Author's note: Don't be confused when Kaito uses Rei's and Nagisa's surnames. She's not close with them in any way, so she's not in a first name basis with them and it's a form of respect. Read on. ( • ̀ω•́ )** **✧)**

* * *

When I went downstairs the next morning for breakfast, Mom already headed out to work. A plate of fried rice sat in the middle of the dining table. While eating breakfast, I rummaged through my school bag to check my things.

 _I couldn't find it. Where is it?_

Cursing, I finished all my food and dumped the empty plate and utensils on the sink. I grabbed my bag and went to school, despite being so early. I wanted to have my last moments in the volleyball court.

Before I leave.

* * *

I was alone in the outdoor court. The early students preferred to stay in the school building, so it was quiet. But I felt at home. Beside me was a basket full of volleyballs, I wanted to practice, even though I was leaving.

I took a ball and went to the service area. A dull buzz was echoing in my ear. Those damned voices were never going to leave me alone. I released the ball and served. I did this several times.

"Perfect form, right amount of release," I heard someone mutter.

I turned and saw the same boy from yesterday with another guy just a few steps away from the court. Both were in their track suits. The guy with Hazuki Nagisa was a few inches taller than him. He had dark blue hair and violet eyes under his red rimmed glasses.

I recognized him as Ryugazaki Rei. He used to be on the track and field. When he used to do pole vaulting, I always saw him during our volleyball practice. He was one of the team's best players.

I wonder what made him leave.

Ryugazaki was muttering to himself as he rubbed his chin, his face in a thinking position. Hazuki, on the other hand, was cheering as his eyes sparkled. It was probably normal for him to do so, but for me, it was uncomfortable in many levels.

Instead of practicing my serves, I did more on my footworks, which involved running and jumping around in the court. I practiced my blocks and spikes. Being inside the court was better than being near them in the service area. Despite being far from them, I could still hear them, specifically Hazuki.

Once I felt like I was about to drop, I began to collect the balls that I used. Hazuki ran and helped me collect them. I turned around and saw Ryugazaki do the same.

"What do you want, Hazuki-san?" I asked after a while.

"I just came to watch you," Hazuki said, smiling brightly at me. "You can call me Nagisa, by the way." We walked together to the basket and placed the balls in. Ryugazaki followed the same.

Ryugazaki stepped right in front of me and looked directly in my eyes. "Nakahara-san, with your skills, why are you leaving the volleyball team?" he asked.

My eyes narrowed at him. "How do you know that?"

Ryugazaki flinched at my gaze and turned to Nagisa. Nagisa reached in his pocket a folded piece of paper. He handed it to me.

 _It was my club withdrawal form._

"You dropped it at the school lockers yesterday," Nagisa said.

 _That's why I couldn't find it this morning._

My grip on the form tightened. As much as I hated to, I planned to hand over the form to Coach Sasagawa today. I also can't tell my mother about this.

My mother was a star volleyball player here in Iwatobi High. Everybody loved her. Until she injured her shoulder during a game. An injury that never recovered. An injury that cost her a lot - her dreams.

Right after high school, she married my father and moved to Tokyo. Being so young, married life wasn't how they expected it to be. My father inherited his family's hotel, so we got through financially.

I don't really know what broke them up. There were no third parties. I guess they just got tired of each other. They got divorced and fought over me. Being an infant, the favor was given to my mother. She brought me to Iwatobi and lived in poverty.

My father still sent us money to make sure I had my needs taken care of, but my mother, being stubborn, sent it back everytime. She took different part jobs in different places around Iwatobi, so I hardly see her. During the holidays, I stayed at my father's. Despite his busy schedule and travelling to different countries, he loves to take me with him.

I've been to many places - Brazil, Australia, America, the Caribbean. All of which my mother always scowled at. She thinks my father his buying my affection with his money. I beg to disagree. Even though I only meet my father during the holidays, I spent more time with him than with my mother.

I realised that Ryugazaki and Nagisa was still there when I returned back to the present. "Thank you for returning this, Nagisa-san," I said. I turned and started to walk away when both guys called my name.

"Nakahara-san!"

"Kai-chan!"

I raised my eyebrow at Nagisa. I understood that he was friendly, but not _that_ friendly. I decided to let it go since that's how he is probably with his friends.

"Since you're leaving the volleyball team," Ryugazaki began.

Both of them bowed and said, "Please join the swim team!"

* * *

 **Feedback is greatly appreciated.  
**


	4. Chapter 3

"I'm not a swimmer," I repeated for the millionth time. "I'm a volleyball player."

Nagisa - and occasionally Ryugazaki - followed me all over school asking me to join the swim team for the past two days. I handed out my withdrawal from the volleyball team, which the coach respected. My teammates did not fuss over my decision. Hell, they didn't do anything. It was as if I was just a wind passing by.

"But, Kai-chan, you already quit the volleyball team," Nagisa pouted, slinging his arm casually over my shoulder.

"When I choose a sport, I want one that I actually want," I said. "I'm not making swimming my rebound." I paused. "Why am I the only one you're recruiting?! There might be other people - people who are actually willing - to join your club."

"Because," Nagisa said, putting on a serious face, "you have a guy's name."

I looked at him blankly. _They want me on the team, because of MY NAME?_ "I don't see the connection," I said and started to walk away.

Nagisa grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. "Every male in the club has a girly name, and Gou, our manager, has a boyish name. You have a boyish name, so you're perfect for the team," he explained.

My eyebrow twitched.

Nagisa looked over my shoulder and waved. "Rei-chan!" he called. "Help me convince Kai-chan to join the club."

Ryugazaki smirked and pushed up his glasses. "From my analysis, from all the jumps you've been doing from volleyball, you have a good advantage for diving," he noted. "Not to mention your arms, you have a large potential on a perfect form for swimming multiple strokes. And your body figure-"

The bell rang, making Ryugazaki have to leave his so-called analysis unfinished.

"I have to get to class," I said, beginning to leave once again.

"Wait, Nakahara-san," Ryugazaki called out. When I turned and gave him my attention, he pleaded, "At least come and watch our practice today. Haruka-senpai will be swimming today."

I smiled wryly, "What makes you think this Haruka will convince me to join to the swim team?"

"Come and see for yourself, Kai-chan," Nagisa smiled.

* * *

I didn't really want to keep my options closed, and I need to remain a student here in Iwatobi High for my mother. So I went straight to the school's swimming pool right after class dismissal.

"Nakahara-san, I'm so glad you're able to come and watch the practice," Matsuoka Gou came running to me with a clipboard in hand. "It's time a female came and joined the swim club. I may be surrounded with muscles all the time, but a girl still needs female company within the club. And Iwatobi High has yet to join female swimming tournaments."

"I'm still pondering on my decision," I told her. I didn't want her to expect so much of me. Not that I don't swim. I doubt anybody in Iwatobi, being a seaside town, doesn't know how to swim. It just wasn't my forte, and I do swimming for relaxation and fun, not for competition.

"Don't worry," Matsuoka smiled brightly and tucked her burgundy hair behind her ear. "I believe in Haru-senpai."

I walked over to the edge of the pool and looked at my reflection on the still water. Then I turned to Matsuoka, "What's so special about this Haru-senpai of yours?"

Suddenly, I saw a flash and followed by a splash in the pool water. A few droplets landed on my skirt. As the body emerged and began doing freestyle, I remembered that Haruka was that person I saw when I hid out here in the poolside a few days ago.

 _What was so special about him?_

Then the answer was right there. He was different than the other swimmers I've seen. He swam like he truly belonged in the water. He had a connection with the water. Just like how I had a connection with my own sport myself, but that connection broke. And I cannot get it fixed.

"Amazing, right?"

I turned and had to look up to look at the person in the eyes. He was towering over me by several inches. He was way too huge for a guy his age. He was wearing his swimwear, so I concluded that must be a part of the swim team. His hair was a very light shade of brown, and his green eyes were kind and understanding. Despite his body size, he looked like a very gentle person.

"He's different, I'll say," I replied, trying not to show how much Haruka affected me. I couldn't help but look back at Haruka, who was already making his turn. He was fast. Very fast.

The guy chuckled lightly. "It's fine," he said. "Everyone becomes like that when Haru swims." He stuck out his hand for me to shake. "I'm Tachibana Makoto. It's nice to meet you."

I took his hand and gave it a short, but firm, shake. "Nakahara Kaito," I replied. I looked back at Haruka, and he was already done!

"Amazing, Haru-chan! I think you broke your record," Nagisa cheered.

"I don't really care about my time," Haruka replied casually, pulling himself out of the water.

"Hey, Haru-chan, can you ask her to join the swim club?" Nagisa whispered. "She looked amazed at your performance."

I sighed. Nagisa needs to whisper properly. I don't even think that was considered a whisper. I can tell Tachibana agrees with me since he sweat-dropped beside me.

Haruka looked at me. Then he started to towards me. He stopped in front of me and stared at me for a few seconds with his empty, nonchalant expression.

"Join the swim club," Haruka said.

Everyone sighed at Haruka as if they expected it to happen. Well, I did too.

"I'll think about it," I answered him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Nagisa whine. I hid the smile that was about to surface. Nagisa was so bubbly you just want to tease him.

"It was way easier for us to get Rei into the team," Nagisa said, pouting. "Rei, talk to her. Take one for the team."

"Now, now, Nagisa, we shouldn't force her to join the club," Tachibana smiled.

"But, Mako-chan, ever since you and Haru-chan graduated from this club, we really need more members now than ever," Nagisa reasoned.

So, it so happened that Matsuoka, Tachibana, and Nagisa began to have an inside discussion, while Haruka dove back in the water. Ryugazaki, on the other hand, went over to me.

"Nakahara-san," he began, "didn't Haruka-senpai's swimming touch you in any way?"

"It did," I admitted, "but I'm not going to finalize my decision based on that. I love volleyball, and I don't think I'm ready to give it up for swimming."

"Do you know the story of why I left the track and field team?"

I shook my head.

"I used to think that pole vaulting was one of the most beautiful sports out there. I can attain the perfect form by theory and calculation in that sport, but that was all I had. I had perfect form, but I wasn't free.

"Then I saw Haru-senpai swim. He was so free in the water, despite his form not being perfect. I wanted what Haru-senpai had in the water. So I joined the swim team.

"You're like me, Nakahara-san. As much as you love volleyball as I had loved pole vaulting, you're not free," Ryugazaki said.

He had saw right through me from the beginning. As much as how his words hurt, I knew he was right. I, too, wanted freedom in the sport I play, but I can never find it in volleyball. But how can I be sure that I would find it in swimming?

I knew how to swim. I learned at the strokes during summer lessons my father made me take when I was a kid, so I know that if I join I wouldn't suck completely. But there was so much I was uncertain of.

My fears. My condition. My inability to let go of volleyball.

But I wanted to be free.

I stepped forward and cleared my throat to get their attention. Once I had it, I said, "I will not be the best member on your team, but I will do my best." I bowed. "I'm in your hands, swim club."

I was suddenly engulfed by a hug. First, it was by Nagisa, then followed by Matsuoka. Soon, the rest - Tachibana forcing Haru-san to join in - squished me in their group hug.

I couldn't help the smile that broke out of my face. _My team never did this with me before._ And although I wasn't officially in the team, I already felt like I belonged.

* * *

 **Feedback is greatly appreciated.  
**


	5. Chapter 4

I blushed as I showed up in the pool area in my swimsuit. It was just a simple one-piece suit, and although I had nothing against showing my body, I only became conscious of the fact that I was the only girl in this club that had to dress like this. I expected Matsuoka to wear one, but she made the excuse of being _only a manager_ and not being good at sports.

"Let's just record your times for today. Is that fine, Nakahara-san?" Matsuoka asked. When I nodded, she scribbled notes on her clipboard. "You know how to swim all strokes, right?" I nodded. "Well, let's just see which stroke is your fastest and we'll see what we can do from there."

Nagisa and Ryugazaki were doing warm-ups. It became a club rule to do warm-ups before intense practices, but I was exempted since I was only doing time trials.

Even though I was only doing time trials, Tachibana and Nanase came to watch practice today. Tachibana, as I was told, used to be the team captain, and since he already graduated from this club, Ryugazaki became team captain because they knew Nagisa had no interest in that much responsibility.

I stepped up on the platform. I already knew how this worked, so having proper, but not perfect, form on diving wasn't an issue. The water looked so calm today. Everything was so peaceful and quiet.

All was going smoothly.

Until the whistle was blown.

I felt something freeze up in me as I dove and began the front crawl first. I was able to swim a few meters, but I realised I kept rising up for breath and my arms were tensing up. When I heard the voices again, I knew what was happening. I gritted my teeth and swam further.

Soon my goggles started to fill up with water. In fact, they were my tears. The voices grew louder, and the more I couldn't move anymore. I rose up the surface and struggled to breath.

Since my legs had also frozen up, I couldn't stay afloat. In my struggle for oxygen, I swallowed so much pool water. The chlorine was making me sick. Then I began to sink as my vision went black.

* * *

Other than feeling the tightening feeling in my chest, it felt heavy. I felt like something was pushing it and preventing me to breathe. It was also cold, except for my lips.

Suddenly I felt water rise up my throat. From bodily instincts, I coughed it all out, releasing the load in chest. My eyes slowly opened, and I saw Nanase's face over mine. Droplets of water from the tips of his hair fell on my forehead, waking me up.

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?" I croaked.

Tachibana came over and helped me sit up. "You were doing well, then you just stopped," he explained. He had some sort of fear flashing in his eyes. "You... you were drowning. Haru saved you."

My eyes trailed over to Nanase. His clear blue eyes were watching my intently as if he was trying to examine me. Suddenly, the numbness was all washed away, and I was bombarded with numerous emotions.

Dissapointment, anger, embarrassment were all I felt at myself. But when I looked at Nanase, an overwhelming sense of thankfulness flooded through me. He made me feel better.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Nanase nodded.

* * *

As I bowed as low as I could, I apologized several times for disrupting their practice. Matsuoka made a fuss and said it was alright. Tachibana patted my back lightly to comfort me while Nanase, Nagisa, and Ryugazaki stood in the corner.

"Do you want sweets, Kai-chan?" Nagisa asked after a while. "Sweets will help you feel better." He ran and dragged Ryugazaki along, saying, "Rei-chan, let's buy some for everybody."

"Nagisa! Rei! Practice isn't over yet!" Makoto called after them. He sighed when he figured out the blonde wouldn't listen to him.

"What happened out there?" Matsuoka asked as lightly as she could.

"She resisted and fought the water," Nanase said.

"What does that even mean?" I frowned at him.

Makoto laughed half-heartedly, "Haru has a connection with the water. Don't worry about not understanding him. And you don't have to pressure yourself in telling us."

"Telling us what?" Nagisa asked as he approached us. He was eating some sort of bread while holding a plastic bag filled with the same variety. Rei followed him carrying a bag of drinks.

Matsuoka began to lecture them about health issues and muscle growth. As far as I know, she has an addiction for muscles.

I took a deep breath and made my decision. I cleared my throat to catch their attention. Matsuoka and Nagisa stopped their bickering and looked at me in question.

"If we're going to be a team, I might as well tell you the truth..."

* * *

"... and I need to keep my scholarship for the sake of my mother."

The fact that the team was noisy as a rock deflated my spirit. That was it. I was going to be kicked out of the team.

* * *

 **Feedback is greatly appreciated.  
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	6. Chapter 5

I squeezed my eyes shut, terrified of their decisions. Another rejection. Another abandonment. The familiar buzzing in my ear paired with the quick thumping in my heart began. My hands started to tremble again.

Then...

"If they treated you that way, they're not your real teammates. There's no reason to hold on to people like that," Nanase's monotone voice broke through the silence.

My heart thudded to a stop from its palpitations. I slowly raised my head to look at Nanase. He had the same blank expression, but I found so much warmth in it.

"So I'm not kicked out of the swim team?" I asked slowly.

"What?! Of course not!" Nagisa said, sitting down beside me and slung an arm around my shoulder. "Rei-chan and I worked hard for you to join. We're not giving you up that easily."

"That's right," Ryugazaki nodded in agreement. "They didn't kick me out when they found out I couldn't swim. We'll help you out, Nakahara-san."

I sniffed, wiping tears from my eyes. "Thank you, everyone," I smiled. "Thank you, Nana—," I trailed off when I noticed that Nanase wasn't there anymore. He already dove off in the pool for another round of swimming. Again, I was enchanted on the way he swam.

"Alright, everyone! Back to practice," Matsuoka clapped her hands to pay attention. Ryugazaki and Nagisa ran back to the pool. She turned back to me. "How about taking a break today? Is that okay, Nakahara-san?" I nodded in response, and she ran off to the pool.

I noticed that Tachibana was still there standing beside me, looking at the others swimming. "Aren't you going to join them?" I asked.

"I figured you could use some company," Tachibana said, sitting down beside me.

"I'm fine."

"He's amazing, right?"

"Huh?"

"Haru," Tachibana pointed at Haru, who was about to dive for another lap. "It's amazing how he understands everybody. He dove after you before you began drowning."

"You know a lot of things about Nanase-senpai, don't you, Tachibana-senpai?"

"Well, yeah, Nagisa, Haru, and I are childhood friends," Tachibana explained. "We were in the same swim club when we were young too."

"D-do you think you know what Nanase-senpai likes best?" I asked timidly. I feel like one of my teammates who would always fuss over the boys from the basketball or kendo club. However, I just wanted to give Nanase-senpai something to show my gratitude of him saving me.

"Haru loves water," Tachibana answered. "No doubt about it."

I sighed. This was not going to go smoothly. "Any other things? Food? Particular dishes?"

"Well, Haru isn't a picky eater, but he does love mackerel."

"Like the fish?"

Tachibana nodded. "He probably loves it as much as he loves water. He eats grilled mackerel almost everyday."

 _Mackerel it is._

* * *

 **I realised how I haven't been updating, yet this story has been getting votes and more readers. Sorry and thank you so much! *bows* Since the upcoming Free! movie is almost here, I'm getting a wee bit inspiration to write. I'll try to make this story less than twenty chapter, so please leave a comment down below on which Free! guy you want me to write about next!**

 **Feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 6

_This is stupid._ I thought to myself as I stared at the extra bento box in front of me. I woke up extra early to make a "thank you" bento box for Nanase-senpai. Taking Tachibana-senpai's advice, I cooked him some grilled mackerel with special sauce and spiced rice.

 _It's just for thanks. Just man up and give it to him._ I tried to reason with myself. _But people might misunderstand._ I tried to put away the bento box back in my bag and stopped my actions midway. _Who cares what other people say?_

I slumped back into my desk and muddled over my decision. Suddenly, I was almost flung back from my seat when Nagisa pulled my sweater from behind.

"Eat lunch with us!" Nagisa said. It was clearly not a request but an order. "Come on! Let's go! The others are already waiting for us at the rooftop." Then he grabbed the bento I made for Nanase and dashed off.

"Nagisa!" I called out, but he continued to run until he left the classroom. "That's Nanase-senpai's..."

* * *

I got to the rooftop while clutching my own bento box. Nagisa had my "thank you" bento box conveniently placed beside Nanase. Tachibana, Matsuoka, and Ryuguzaki were also there too, waiting for me before they started eating, but Nagisa already started nibbling on the edge of his "special" Iwatobi bread.

"Sorry for making you wait, guys," I said before sitting down beside Nanase, but still managed to keep a wee bit distance between us.

"Yay! Let's eat!" Nagisa cheered. "Thanks for the food!" Then he began munching on his beloved bread.

"Eh, Nakahara-san, why do you have two bento boxes?" Matsuoka asked. "Do you eat that much?"

"No," I answered, just as I saw Tachibana hand over a bento box to Nanase.

"Oh, Haruka-senpai, you stayed over at Tachibana-senpai's again?" Ryuguzaki asked, also eyeing the bento box.

"Yeah, we had an assignment to do," Tachibana answered for Nanase, "so Mum cooked an extra lunch for Haru."

I deflated. Big time. So much for my thanks.

"So, Kai-chan, what's your lunch? You're the only one who hasn't opened your bento yet," Nagisa grabbed the "thank you" bento.

"No! Wait! That's not—!"

"Grilled mackerel?" Matsuoka peeked as Nagisa opened the bento.

Nanase perked at the mention of mackerel and looked at the bento longingly. I must've blushed a thousand shades of pink. I pinched the bridge of my nose to calm myself.

Tachibana looked at me and caught on. He leaned over to me and whispered, "Is this why you asked me about what Haru likes most?"

I nodded.

"Nakahara-san, could this bento be for Haruka-senpai?" Ryuguzaki asked.

Everybody stopped bickering and stared at me, waiting for my answer. The gaze I couldn't handle was Nanase's. Those clear, cool blue eyes stared into mine and waited for an answer.

 _Of course, he hoped that that mackerel bento would be his. So..._

"Yes, it's a 'thank you' bento for saving me yesterday," I said, and Nanase instantly grabbed the bento from Nagisa after returning his bento to Tachibana.

"Hey, Mako-chan, can I have Haru-chan's bento instead? I'm still hungry," I faintly heard Nagisa's request to Tachibana as I stared at Nanase taste the bento I made for him.

"It's great," Nanase said and gave me the slight smile, but it was enough for my heart to skip a beat. Then he continued digging in.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Tachibana let out a soft chuckle and a grin before nonchalantly eating his own bento. He caught my eye and nodded when I mouthed him my thanks.

* * *

"Nakahara-san," Nanase called out to me when I was at the shoe lockers, preparing to leave school for the day.

"Nanase-senpai, what is it?"

"You almost forgot this," he handed me the bento box I gave him at lunch.

I blushed at the recalling of the event. I made a mental note to get back at Nagisa for that one day. I took the bento box from him and said my thanks once more.

"Nakahara-san," Nanase began, "can you give me the recipe for that sauce?" It was amazing how this person's face is unreadable. "I would like to try making it tomorrow."

"Uhh~ sure," I replied. "I'll text you the recipe. You have a phone, right?"

He nodded and handed me his phone. I punched in my number and sent myself a message using his phone to have his number. Then I returned it to him.

"Thanks," Nanase said and began to leave.

"Umm~ Nanase-senpai," I called out, pulling out every ounce of courage I could find on every cell of my body. He turned and looked at me in question. "If you want, I can make you the same bento tomorrow too. If you want me too, of course." I mentally slapped myself for being a repetitive idiot.

Nanase pondered over it for a second and nodded, "I would like that. Thank you, Nakahara-san."

A wide smile was plastered on my face. The biggest smile I have ever had since my life had experienced the biggest bump yet. "Thank you too, Nanase—."

"Haru."

"Eh?"

"Call me Haru. 'Nanase' is too formal," Haru said.

I nodded, "Alright, Haru-san."

Haru gave me a short stare before turning and walking off. I was frozen in my spot for a couple of minutes before I put on my outdoor shoes and then left the school _._

* * *

 **Feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 7

"Your record is ten seconds faster! Great job, Kai-chan!" Nagisa cheered. Both he and Rei then hoisted me out of the pool. According to Kou, I should start calling my club mates by their first names already since I was already part of the team.

"Good job today, Kai-chan," Kou said, handing me a towel and a bottle of water. She eyed Nagisa and Rei who were prepping to do another lap on the pool. Once they dived on the pool, she pulled me to the side and whispered, "What's going on with you and Haru-senpai?"

"Nothing," I shrugged, forcing myself to keep a passive face and not to blush.

"Really?" Kou tilted her head in confusion. "With you making him his bento every other day and you using that weird bird he always sculpts on your cellphone, people would think you guys are dating."

I couldn't help it by then. Under the warm spring sun, my face just burst into an angry blush. Of course, it didn't go unnoticed by Kou. To save myself from further embarrassment, I drank from my water bottle and pretended to wipe my face to hide my blush.

"Nakahara-san," Kou waited for me to look her in the eye, and when I did she asked, "do you like Haru-senpai?"

"What? No!" I lied, my voice louder than how I intended it to be. "I'm just doing these things as thanks. As thanks..." I mumbled the last part.

 _Who am I kidding? Even a blind man can see I'm completely infatuated with the peculiar hydromaniac._

* * *

This weekend Dad just sent me money. He said that I should buy clothes that I would want to bring to Australia where he'll take me to spend the entire summer. Of course, I squealed in delight at the splendid news, and of course, Mum grumbled her disapproval before rushing off to work.

For once I felt fine. No voices. No panicking. And it was not because of the money, vacation, or new clothes. No indeed.

It was because when I went to the mall to do my shopping I happened to bump into Haru.

"Haru-kun!" I gave him a smile in greeting. "What brings you here?" At first, I chose this mall because it had less people today — the mall on the next street was doing an anniversary sale so people went there rather than here — which decreases my chances of panicking in a crowd, but now, I don't think I'll ever panic now. I just felt so relaxed around Haru.

"Oi, Haru!" Tachibana called out from the distance with some other guy trailing behind him. "Don't just leave us without telling us!" Then he caught sight of me. "Oh, Nakahara-san, doing some shopping too?" he asked. "Haru wanted to buy some new swimming trunks, then we bumped into Rin."

"Yeah," I shrugged. "I was planning to buy a new swim suit." I looked to the new guy who looked extremely bored around us. My heart clenched in panic, thinking that I might be making him uncomfortable. I took a deep breath and willed myself to calm down.

"Oh right, Rin, this is the new member of the swim club, Nakahara Kai-san," Tachibana introduced me to "Rin." "Nakahara-san, this is Matsuoka Rin. We were in the same swim team when we were children. He was also the captain of the Samezuka swim club."

Oh, this guy is Matsuoka Kou's brother? Now that Tachibana mentioned it, he did bear a lot of similarities to his sister. Well, except the muscles and his weird shark-like teeth.

I bowed slightly in greeting, "Nice to meet you, Matsuoka-san. I'm Nakahara Kai."

"Same," Matsuoka said coolly. "Just call me Rin. We'll probably be seeing each other often now that you're part of the Iwatobi Swim Club now. It's about time they got a girl to join too. I worry about Gou always hanging around the other guys."

I laughed lightly. "Well, Kou is pretty much still the same when I got in," I shrugged. "Muscles..." I mumbled, but making sure that Rin would still hear, which he did and laughed at it.

"Can we just go to the sports shop?" Haru asked, sounding quite exasparated.

My heart clenched again. I didn't mean to make Haru annoyed, but then again, he seemed excited to buy his new swimming trunks since that was so connected to his beloved water. "Well, don't let me keep you," I said, smiling slightly to cover my rising panic. "I have to go buy my stuff too. See you guys later then."

* * *

I finished buying my bikini set for Australia and some new goggles for the swim club. Since it was almost lunch time, I decided to go to a fast food restaurant inside the mall. I hope not to run into Kou here in the mall, or else she'll give me a mouthful about eating healthy...

When I got to the restaurant, seems like I wasn't the only one who didn't care about eating healthy. In the line were Haru and the rest he was with earlier. As usual, Haru almost made a fuss at the counter because all he wanted was some mackerel, so Makoto had to step up and fix Haru's dilemma.

Once I got my food, I was offered to sit that their table. I sat at the empty seat beside Rin and faced Makoto. I suddenly felt really awkward being the only girl in this table. Then again, I was in a sports team that had guys always show off their toned torsos.

Most of the talking were done by Makoto, Rin, and me. Haru decided to stay silent and stare at the outside from the glass window, making me feel on edge. We mostly talked about how I got into the team, which ended with us laughing at Nagisa's reasoning and my name. Makoto filled up the details of my need of a sports club because of my scholarship and being an ex-volleyball player, but thankfully, he didn't spill anything of my _condition._

But all that time, Haru never spoke a word.

And that was just enough to send me over the cliff.

"Kai-san, are you alright?" Rin asked, seeing me grip the edge of the table so tightly.

"Yeah, give me just a second," I said, shutting my eyes tightly and desperately trying to control my breathing before I start feeling sick from being over-oxygenated.

I failed.

 _You failed again? Why do you always fail? You are such a failure. You can't even breathe right!_

I tried to look at Rin and Makoto with a straight face. "Listen, I, uhhh, I have to go," I grabbed my shopping bag and rushed out of the restaurant.

I was a few steps away from the restaurant when my legs gave up on me. I tripped and fell on the cold tiled floor, attracting unwanted eyes on me. I shut my eyes and tried to do all I can to shut the voices out. When it was too much for me to bear, I began sobbing, which only worsened my breathing.

Suddenly, I was lifted up off the floor. Still gasping for air, I opened my eyes to see Haru, looking straight forward as he carried me out of the mall at a fast-paced walk. I buried my face in his chest, trying to hide myself from the people who were staring at us.

* * *

Haru brought me to a nearby playground where no one was around. He sat me on a swing and left to buy me some water. By that time, my anxiety attack had stopped, and I was now only in a light fit of sobs. Sobs of shame.

"Here," Haru said and handed me the water. He then sat on the swing beside me and said nothing more.

I nodded at him in thanks and took a sip out of the bottle. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair then tugged at the ends. For the next half hour, it was just us in the swings. No words were exchanged, just pure silence, yet I was so comforted by his presence.

"I think I'm good now," I stood up and almost fell again because of my wobbly legs.

"I'll walk you home."

"No, don't worry about it," I politely decline his offer. "I have some cash. I'll take a cab home."

"I'll walk you home," Haru repeated in a firmer tone this time. He grabbed my shopping bag, which I didn't even realise that he brought along since my fall in the mall. Then he stuck out his elbow to me in an awkward position.

 _Did he want me to take his arm? Well, my legs_ are _still weak._

"Thanks," I said and grabbed his arm. During our walk to my house, I was sporting another angry blush from the looks of people. I clearly knew what those looks meant.

Haru and I were being mistaken as a couple.

Once I got home, my legs were back to their normal strength, so I let go of Haru's arm and took my shopping bag from him. I heaved another sigh and ran my fingers through my hair again. "I keep owing you," I said.

"It's fine."

 _No, it's not. I can't keep depending on you, Haru. I'm already starting to feel so comfortable with you._

Those words were what I wanted to say, yet what I actually said was...

"I promise to bring you another mackerel bento this Monday," I said, blushing and avoiding his eyes. "As thanks, of course," I added, failing miserably to stop fidgeting where I stood. I peeked up through my lashes to look at him.

Haru was giving me one of his soft smiles. "I'll look forward to it," he said. "See you at school then." Then he began walking away.

I looked at his retreating figure for a few seconds more. My heart clenched again and sped up. But this time...

It was the good kind of feeling.

* * *

 **Hoooly mother of pies. It's about 2 a.m. when I finished this chapter. I wanted to post something before I go back to school this week. Also I only wanted it to be at least a thousand words long only, but you guys get five hundred extra words for being so nice with the feedback and stuff. Although I'd appreciate more feedback — ahem, REVIEWS, ahem — for more motivation. Oh well, not really complaining. I know you guys are reading. (￣ｰ￣) *wink wink***

 **Feedback are greatly appreciated, loves! ヽ(〃＾▽＾〃)ﾉ**


	9. Chapter 8

Mondays were always a drag. However, I wasn't complaining today, even if I woke up early today, even if Mum gave me hell over "making extra food and wasting money." Although she did shut up after I said that I owed someone and the bento was my way of thanks. I made my way to school unknowingly having a skip in my step.

When I was nearing the school gates, I heard a small ruckus between two people near me.

"Oi, Haru! Stop pushing yourself. You need to go home!" Makoto's voice rang out.

I turned and saw Makoto trying to grab hold of Haru, while Haru himself was sluggishly making his way towards the school. Curious on what the fuss was about, I walked towards them.

"Good morning, Makoto-senpai, Haru-kun," I greeted, then frowned. At a closer view, Haru's eyes looked droopy, his cheeks were flushed, and he was breathing heavily. "Umm, you don't look well, Haru-kun," I noted.

"He has a fever," Makoto stated, taking Haru's school bag in attempts to ease some weight off his shoulders. "Apparently, there was a power outage last night in his neighbourhood, but he still took a bath... in cold water and without drying his hair properly."

Hesitatingly, I reached up and touched Haru's forehead. _He was burning up!_ I thought, worry flooding through me. "You need to go home and rest," I said, knowing that he probably won't listen to me. If he wouldn't listen to Makoto, the more he wouldn't listen to me. "Your fever is pretty bad."

"No," Haru shook his head, then placed his hand on my shoulder. "Bento," he rasped out.

"What?" I blinked. "Did you... just come to school for the b-bento?"

Haru nodded.

I looked at him bewildered. "I have it with me," I said, holding his bento box up, "but please, go home and get some rest." I handed the bento over to him.

Makoto took the bento from me. "I got it," he said. "I'll bring Haru home. Can you stop by the faculty room and explain things to the teacher that I'll be late?"

I nodded.

* * *

Talking to Makoto's homeroom teacher wasn't too much trouble. He was a bit annoyed by Haru though. He mumbled things about slowing down Makoto because Haru was a weirdo despite being great in his grades. That angered me, but I didn't say anything for fear that I might put my scholarship at stake.

 _I wonder if Haru felt the same as I did_. I shook my head at the thought. Of course, he wouldn't. His friends loved him, and he was special. I was below average, and I was just a member on the volleyball team and now in the swim club just to keep her scholarship intact.

* * *

"So that's what happened to Haru-chan..." Nagisa said as he munched through his third packet of sweet melon bread. "But he went all the way to school for your bento, Kai-chan. Isn't that... interesting?"

I choked on my egg roll. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said and took a sip of my orange juice.

"Haru-senpai _does_ seem fascinated with you," Rei nodded, doing the classic glasses lift. "With the right observations, I can compose a hypothesis stating that he likes you."

"He likes the bento boxes I make for him, not me," I laughed and pretended to rub my nose, but I was actually hiding the fact that I was madly blushing.

"It would be interesting to find Haru with a girlfriend though," Kou mentioned. "After you guys done well reaching nationals last year, Haru-senpai has been talked about a lot by some girls now."

"Really?" Nagisa said in awe. Then he pouted, "It's a bummer how it's only Haru-chan though."

"Makoto-senpai is also among the talk too," Kou noted.

"Ehh? Me?" Makoto chuckled bashfully. "I don't really have time for girls, and Haru, well... Haru loves the water."

"What about us?!" Nagisa whined with his arm around Rei's shoulders.

I laughed and continued on with my lunch. _Does Haru only love the water though?_ I thought.

* * *

"Ne, Gou-chan, you think I can skip practice?" Nagisa asked Kou once the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the say. "It's my older sister's birthday. I have to help out with the party."

"Eh? But Rei-san also has some matters to attend to," Kou frowned. "We can't have practice with Kai-san being the only member."

"We can put off practice today," I offered. "I think a break is good. We have been practicing hard this month."

Kou blinked. "Do you have somewhere to go too?" she asked.

 _Haru's place._

"I just wanted to catch up on homework," I lied.

"The one due next week?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I wanted to finish it, so I can then focus on practicing and improving my time. Busy, busy, busy..." I laughed half-heartedly.

"Hmm, that really isn't a bad idea," Kou said thoughtfully. "Well, maybe just this once."

"Yes!" Nagisa cheered. "Thanks, Kai-chan!" Then I had all the air knocked out of me when Nagisa squeezed me for a massive hug.

* * *

I knocked at the door to Haru's house. _No answer_. I knocked again. For another minute, there was still no answer. I took a peek at the back, but nothing was there. I went up to the front and knocked for the last time.

I really didn't want to do this, but I twisted to doorknob and was actually surprised that Haru didn't leave it locked. "Hello?" I whispered loudly.

I passed the living room and ended up in the kitchen. To my surprise, his house was absolutely normal. Seeing how he loved to swim, I expected that he would have a pool in his house, but his house was almost like mine. Just normal, livable, no traces of being extravagant.

Then I heard a loud cough that made me jump and almost soiled myself from the shock. I followed the sound from a hallway and found a door that was left ajar. I really, _really_ didn't want to peek in, but since I was already technically trespassing, I just threw all reason out the window.

I stuck my head through the gap of the door and saw Haru under the covers, coughing and slightly panting. In other words...

He looked like shit.

Well, not the literal kind of shit.

I barged in without thought and placed my hand over his head. _He was burning up!_ Even more so than early this morning. He was also drenched with sweat, which was absolutely not helping with his body temperature at the moment.

I lightly shook him awake. "Haru-kun?" I said gently.

His eyelids fluttered open. "Kai?" he muttered.

Upon the realisation that this was the first time he spoke my name, my heart skipped a beat, but this wasn't really the time to be all giddy of a crush.

"Yeah," I said. "You need to change your clothes, Haru-kun. Can you please change?"

"Mmm," Haru mumbled, starting to drift off to sleep again.

"Hey, hey," I tapped his arm to wake him. "You need to change or you'll get worse. Sit up so you can change."

No response.

I shook my head and looked around his room. I saw his wardrobe in the corner and dug through all the swimming trunks to find comfortable clothes. Once I got him a shirt, I shook Haru awake for the third time.

"Haru-kun, please," I sighed. "Wake up. Sit up and change."

Blue eyes lazily stared at me. "Nakahara-san?" he rasped, switching back to my last name. "Why are you here?"

"I came to check up on you," I said. "I thought Makoto would be here." I slid and arm under his back and helped him sit up.

"Working... children... swim club," Haru muttered, swaying from where he sat.

"Come on, change into this," I placed the shirt on his lap.

Haru stared at the shirt for quite a while, then he began to pull off his shirt. I looked away and resisted the urge to stare, which was absolutely silly since I've already saw him shirtless countless times during swimming practice.

Then I heard sounds of struggle. I turned and laughed softly at the sight of Haru struggling to get his shirt off his head and arms. That amusement soon turned into heat in my veins. His struggle caused him to flex his muscles... and those droplets of sweat trickling down his chest were almost sinful.

I coughed in attempts to clear my head and rose to help Haru. Kneeling on the edge of his bed, I pulled on the edge of his shirt. The stubborn piece of clothing came off his head and made his hair stick up in funny places. I balled up the sweaty shirt and dabbed at his chest to wipe off his sweat. I also made sure to keep him eyes straight up to keep my sanity.

Probably feeling really shitty, Haru couldn't stop breathing heavily through his mouth. His hot breath fanned on the nape of my neck, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin. I quickly ran the used shirt down his back and pulled away. Knowing that Haru could barely function, I helped him put on his new shirt.

"There 'ya go," I sighed, pleased at my accomplishment. I got off my knees and sat on the edge of his bed. "Do you want some water before lying down?"

Haru nodded.

I jogged out of the room and got some water from the fridge. I ran back to his room and handed him the glass. He downed the entire drink and set it on his bedside table.

"Thanks," Haru said.

"Don't worry about it," I replied. "What are teammates for?" I gently patted his shoulder. Then I giggled at the sight of his hair that was still a mess. I ran my fingers through his soft strands, and Haru seemed to like it because his eyes began to slowly shut. I pulled my hand away and lightly pushed him back on the bed to lie down.

"Why did you stop?" Haru mumbled, his eyes opening again.

Smiling at his childish behavior, I sank my fingers in his hair again, combing through the locks and smoothing out the tangles. Then I realised that Haru kept on staring at me instead of going back to sleep. I stared back in question.

 _Should I make a move?_

I leaned down and pressed my forehead against his burning one. My hand that was in his hair slid down to his cheek. Slowly I leaned further and placed my lips on his. His lips were soft, but also extremely warm. But what surprised me was when Haru actually kissed me back.

I gasped then smiled, kissing him several more times. One of his hands was set on my hip and the other was gripping the back of my school vest. Haru's kisses were so innocent and gentle, but they were also very honest. Just like his love for the water.

We both pulled away at the same time, and I suddenly felt bad because Haru's face looked redder than before.

"I'll go get you a towel," I said and rushed to Haru's bathroom. I found some fresh towels, and I took one and soaked it in cold water. I went back to his room and set the damp cloth on an asleep Haru's forehead.

"Haru?" a familiar voice called out. Heavy footsteps grew louder then Haru's bedroom door opened, revealing Makoto looking worried as ever. "Oh, Nakahara-san, you're here," he said. "How's he?"

"Asleep," I said. "His fever hasn't gone down a bit"

"Well, I bought some medicine, and my mother had me bring Haru some porridge," Makoto said. "Thanks for watching him, Nakahara-san. Really."

I nodded. Then I stood up and grabbed my bag. "I should be going now."

"I'll take over from here," Makoto assured me.

* * *

 **(Two days later)**

"Haru-chan! Welcome back!" Nagisa whooped the air and hugged a well-rested Haru once he appeared in swimming practice.

"Drop the '-chan'," Haru muttered, frowning.

I chuckled and snuggled on my two layers of towels. Lately, I've been sneezing a lot and wiping my runny nose. It was either overworking my self or...

My eyes looked at Haru, and his eyes caught mine. My gaze slid lower and focused on those lips. Lips that I kissed over and over. I broke eye contact with him and sneezed for the nth time.

"Oh, shit," I mumbled, grabbing my hanky and blowing my nose. "Never kiss a sick person."

* * *

 **Yes, you have permission to be mad. As my apology, I made it twice as long and extra fluffy. *wink wink* Sigh... I wish he existed in real life. I wish I had a bishie of my own.**

 **Anyways, follow/favorite and leave a review. What did you think of this chapter? Yes, yes, or YES? Love 'ya, loves!  
**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

"Finally!" Kou dropped her duffel bag and quickly ran to the shoreline, letting her feet be kissed by the beach waves. "That bus ride was too long, and Nagisa wouldn't shut up."

"Should we set up our tents now?" I asked, and Kou just looked at me like I grew another head. "What?" I frowned.

"You want to stay here in the beach with the guys?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's a hotel nearby," Kou said. "Amakata-sensei and I are staying there while the boys camp out here. Didn't I tell you that?"

I deadpanned. "Apparently not since you basically just showed up at my house and forced me to pack my stuff for a 'training camp,'" I glared at her. "You never told we girls would stay at a hotel, so I also brought my tent!"

"Ohhh," Kou drawled as realisation dawned on her face. "Well," she shrugged, "now you know." Then she checked her watch. "Come on, Kai. We still have to book the rooms."

I looked longingly at the beach. "I think... I'm gonna stay here," I said with finality.

"What?!" Kou exclaimed.

"No, no, no, absolutely not," Amakata-sensei huffed, placing a hand on her hip. "I am not letting one of my female students camp outside. It's dangerous." She stepped closer to me and stared at me right in the eyes. "Strange things happen in the dark," she drawled, trying to sound eerie.

"The guys are there," I jerked my thumb over their direction. Nagisa was playing around with a tiny crab, while Rei explained its species. Makoto and Haru, on the other hand, were busy setting up their tents.

"The more it is inappropriate to leave you here," Amakata-sensei said. "Four boys and a girl? Absolutely _NOT._ "

"Oh, come on," I frowned. "What harm could they possibly do?"

Just then, a yelp echoed, so we turned and saw Nagisa crawling away, yelling, "It almost got me!"

"It's tinier than your palm," Rei sighed, shaking his head. "What could it possibly do to you?"

"Well, they are idiots," Amakara-sensei mumbled under her breath, but I was still able to catch it. "I guess someone has to keep them in line. Make sure they don't do anything stupid and all." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "Watch out for yourself, okay?"

* * *

It took me longer than usual to set up my tent without shoving sand inside, but I managed to get it done. I was shoving in my travel bag and setting up my sleeping bag when I heard rustling noises from the side of my tent. I popped my head out the zipper door and saw Haru pulling Makoto's and his tent closer to mine.

"What... are you doing?" I asked, watching him curiously.

"Nothing," Haru replied.

"Well, you basically just pulled your tent closer to mine."

"It's safer."

"'Safer'?" I echoed while nodding slowly, trying to decipher what he meant. Safer for him? Or for me? But I didn't want to put much more meaning into this, not after what happened in his house. I never actually had the courage to ask him if he remembered the kiss or if it was just him being in a daze from the fever.

"Haru, I'm going to the convenience store to buy more water," Makoto said. "Do you want to come with– What did you do to the tent?! There's sand inside!"

* * *

I sat closer to the fire and stuck my hands for more heat. I never expected for the evenings to be absolutely cold. I think I should've considered the hotel better.

Nagisa, being notoriously known for snacking, snuck a bag of marshmallows in his bag and began handing them out to us for some toasting around the campfire. We all knew that Kou would give us an hour long nag if she found out about what we were eating, so we savored the opportunity had on our hands.

Rei was focused on his marshmallow, trying to get it toasted evenly on all sides, while Nagisa forgot to toast the marshmallows and went to eating them straight from the bag. Makoto was probably the only one doing his toasting the most normal. However, he probably didn't realise that he was drowsing off.

"Here," Haru handed me a perfectly toasted marshmallow.

"Uhh~ thanks," I said and tried to take the mallow, but he held it away from my hand. I looked at him confused, and Haru just stared at me steadily as he pushed it near my face. _Did he want to—? Oh._

I opened my mouth, and Haru popped the marshmallow inside. Everybody else were too engrossed in their own business that they completely missed that weird exchange. Haru silently grabbed another marshmallow from the bag and began toasting it. Once it was toasted, he did the same thing all over again.

After the fourth mallow, I took the bag from Haru and began toasting my own marshmallows. When I took it out and blew on it to cool, I noticed Haru was staring at me. As I took the mallow out of the stick, Haru leaned in closer. Blushing profusely, I tossed the mallow into his mouth.

"Haru-kun, mind if I have a word with you?" I asked, trying not to sound suspicious. He nodded, so I got on my feet and led him to behind the tents where we can have some privacy because Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei already developed some curiosity for Haru and I.

"What is it?" Haru asked.

"You... What... I don't know," I sighed, not finding the right words to say to him. I rubbed the back of my neck and stuck my hands in my pocket. "Haru-kun, about that time when you were sick, do you remember what happened?" I asked.

Haru didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward and crashed his lips to mine.

 _Oh. So he did remember._

* * *

 _Guess who just finished this trimester (badly)?! Guess who can now do regular updates?! Whoop whoop!_

 _Actually, I already finished this chapter a week ago. I forgot to publish it. I'm sorry. Lol._

 _Reviews and favorites/follows are greatly appreciated! Love 'ya._


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Kaito! Nakahara Kaito!" Mum yelled from downstairs. "Ever since that training camp, you've been cooped up in bed all week." I heard thundering footsteps growing louder and louder before they stopped right outside my door.

Once my door slowly swung open, I quickly twisted myself into a sushi roll, rolled off the bed, and slithered under my bed. I stayed as still and quiet as I should, then suddenly, hands gripped my feet and pulled me from under my bed like one of those horror movies.

I screamed, "No! I belong under my bed!" I grabbed hold of my blanket that Mum was trying to pry off me. "At least let me have my blanket!" I pleaded.

"I. Did. Not. Raise. My. Own. Daughter. To. Be. A. Hikikomori!" Mum tugged with each word and managed to steal the blanket from me with the last tug.

I made a pouty face at her and hid at the corner of my room.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Mum sighed, exasperated. "This is one of those rare days that I get a day off work, and you're wasting the whole day away when we could shop or mess around in the kitchen all day." She paused, finally noticing something. "Wait," she began. "I remember this attitude of yours. You're guilty about something."

I flinched. I turned my head and peeked at her from my corner. "Please don't be mad," I whispered.

* * *

 **(One week ago...)**

Ever since last night when Haru suddenly kissed me, we've - and when I say "we," I mean Haru - pulling me somewhere and stealing kisses. On our last two days, we finished our training, and most of the time, we just wandered around the amazing islands we passed during training. Haru, of course, took every opportunity to hide us behind boulders or trees and sneak a kiss.

I didn't know where our relationship stood, until the last day...

Since we were going home by lunch, I woke up absolutely early to watch the sunrise. I pushed myself off the tent and pulled out my cloak. I wrapped myself with it and sat on the sand. The sky was still dark, but beyond the horizon, a faint light was beginning to rise. Before I knew it, the beautiful orange and purple glow spread over the calm ocean waters.

"Beautiful," a voice said behind me, making me jump.

I turned and saw Haru standing behind me with his eyes also fixated on the sunrise. He was still in his pajamas which consisted of pajama pants and a thin cotton shirt. His hair was also as messy as mine.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew passed us, sending a chilly breeze. I pulled my cloak closer to me and rubbed my arms to keep warm. Then I looked at Haru. "Aren't you cold?" I asked, mildly concerned.

"No," Haru replied just as another breeze passed, making him sneeze this time.

I giggled softly. I spread the left side of my cloak. "There's room here for another one," I offered.

Haru took up on my offer and sat beside me. Suddenly his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer. "You're warm," he mumbled, still pulling me closer until I was basically right between his legs with my back against his chest. His arms wrapped over my shoulders and engulfed me with his body heat.

"Haru-kun?"

"Mm?"

"I like you."

There was a long silence. I thought my voice was too soft for him to hear, or he was too focused on the beauty of the sunrise. Then he answered in a voice as soft as mine earlier.

"Me too."

I turned to face him, but Haru looked away. Seeing his ears slightly red, I decided not to say anything and leaned back, trying to keep in my giggles. _Cute_ , I thought.

"I'm not cute," Haru said, tightening his hold around me.

I laughed at my accident. "You kinda are," I smiled cheekily at him. Then I reached up and attempted to poke his cheek. Unfortunately, Haru leaned back to avoid my finger, but since both of us were wrapped in the same cloak, we both fell on the sand.

Well, Haru fell on the sand, and I fell on top of him. I blushed madly at the feel of his body against mine. His hand then held the back of my head and gently pulled me down for a kiss.

These past days I've felt these lips for who knows how many times, but this time, this kiss felt so different yet to familiar. I felt like I was drowning, yet I was absolutely calm. His kisses were spreading heat all over me, from the very tip of my toes up to every strand of my hair.

Without warning, our kisses began to turn aggressive. I moved my leg to straddle him and deepened the kiss. Haru got up to a sitting position and pulled me closer to him. The heat on my skin began to prickle, and at the back of my head, I knew I should stop this soon.

Suddenly, I heard some rustling from the tents behind us. I quickly pulled away and got to my feet before we got caught. I put a huge amount of distance between me and Haru just as Nagisa crawled out of his and Rei's tent.

"Mornin', Haru-chan, Kai-chan," Nagisa mumbled sleepily.

I replied the same, and Haru just stared steadily at the sun that was already beginning to climb high on the sky.

"What time is it?" Nagisa asked.

I checked my watch. "Around quarter to six," I answered.

Nagisa nodded and yawned. "I'm just gonna run to the bathroom," he said. He rubbed his eyes and stared at me then at Haru. "What are you guys doing so early in the morning?" he asked.

"We were watching the sunrise," I shrugged.

"Ehh? That's unfair," Nagisa whined. "You should've woken me up too!" Then he paused again. "Are you alright, Kai-chan? You look a bit flushed. Are you sick? I knew we shouldn't have gone to that last island yesterday."

I blushed. "No, no," I replied hastily. "It's probably from my sleeping bag. It's too warm for this kind of weather. I'll probably just take a morning swim to cool off."

"Oh, okay," Nagisa said. "I'll just sleep in until we have to leave." Then he dragged his feet towards the direction of the public toilets.

"Should we tell them?" I asked Haru.

"They'll find out eventually," Haru shrugged casually. He got up and began removing his shirt and pants. "Didn't you say you wanted a morning swim?"

"Yeah," I nodded without thought, too distracted by the small show Haru just did right in front of me. _Wait,_ I thought, _he wore his swimming trunks under his pajamas?!_

* * *

 **Well, well, well... We're almost at the end. Although I'm slower than a rock in updating this fanfic, I really do hope you guys are enjoying the story as much as I am writing it. I hope you guys would understand since school just started and I also have another story that I'm writing. ( _Really. Check out out ISWAD too. It's on my Fictionpress account. Heh.)_**

 **ALSO! Important thing. To lemon or not to lemon? I've been having this huge debate in my head. Leave a comment if you do want one in this story. If not, ah well, more for my hidden stash I guess. Heh heh heh.**

 **Please leave a review, favorite/follow this story if you haven't, and also follow me and check out my other stories (on Fictionpress). Love 'ya!  
**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Haru wasn't talking to me. It had been going around for almost a week. There was only two weeks left before summer break, which is my first, last, and only summer with Haru before he goes off to college and our relationship would be left to the ambiguous. The thought of that was beginning to bug me, and I was starting to feel really twitchy and on edge.

My breathless fits were beginning to emerge again out of my worry and paranoia, so I doubled my training in the swim club, which greatly worried Kou. Since there was competitions right after summer break, I wasn't supposed to push myself. I would rather push myself to my breaking point than have a mental breakdown again. This team meant so much to me, even more so than my old volleyball team.

"Kai? Kai!" Nagisa called repeatedly while waving his chopsticks over my face.

I snapped out of my thoughts and remembered that the club was in the middle of lunch on the rooftop. "Oh," I said, "I've been thinking of something."

"It isn't Haru, is it?" Kou whispered in my ear.

I pulled away defensively. "Why would you say that?" I asked. Luckily, Makoto and Haru weren't around since all graduating students were busy doing what graduating students would do.

"He's been avoiding you," Rei pointed out, clearly hearing Kou's words. "It's a bit mind-boggling. Ever since our training camp, both of you have been inseparable, until a week ago."

"Did you say anything, Kai-chan?" Nagisa asked. "Did you cut him off mackerel?"

"Very funny," I laughed sarcastically. "Wait..." I halted and suddenly had a flashback.

* * *

"Haru-kun," I mumbled in the middle of watching TV in his living room. Both of us were sat next to each other while we had bowls of mackerel soup for lunch. Watching noontime shows was very boring, so once in a while, we changed channel and looked for something interesting until we got bored and changed it again.

"Mm?" Haru took the remote and changed it to another channel. A documentary about sharks was on, and he seemed really fascinated how the people were talking about a shark mackerel, which isn't even a shark in the first place.

"Is the soup good?" I asked, trying to ease him into the main subject of the conversation.

"Yeah," was his short reply.

I put my bowl down on the coffee table and wriggled my hands, pondering about the right words to say. I watched the show going on and saw a bull shark making its way into the Amazon River.

"You know..." I paused. "There are quite a few sharks in Australia."

"Mhmm."

"I seriously cannot do this," I sighed and just turned off the television. Haru looked at me in question, and I returned the gaze straight-on. "Remember that trip the swim club will be having? The one where we're going to a hot spring next month as a farewell party for you and Makoto?"

Haru nodded, urging me to go on.

"I can't go," I said. Haru's face looked blanker than his natural blank face, if that was even possible. I continued, "My father has a business meeting around that time in Australia, and he wants me to stay with him for the entire summer. I can't say no because he'll be busy for the rest of the year."

"It's okay," Haru said.

"Really? You're not upset?" I asked, looking at him with doubt.

Haru just nodded and took a long sip of his soup before eating the fish. He took the remote and turned the t.v. back on. There was clearly a tension in the air, which I had no intention to engage in, so all I did was take back my soup and began digging in while watching people measure the force of shark bites.

* * *

Finishing my flashback, I dropped my bento box and instantly slapped myself on my forehead, crying out, "Idiot!"

Kou, Nagisa, and Rei looked at me like I had gone crazy. I got on my feet and began off the rooftop, leaving the group and my bento behind. I needed to get to Haru.

"Kai! Your bento!" Nagisa called out.

"You can have it!" I yelled as I ran down the stairs and into the hallway. Since running was not allowed, I was speed-walking down the hall, and students who were loitering by the hall looked at me like some freak. I would laugh, but I was too busy trying to get to the other side of the building to see Haru.

By the time I got to Haru's classroom, he and Makoto were just finished with their extra lessons. I quickly ran for it and jumped on his back. He staggered in his steps, but he managed to regain balance as he held the back of my thighs to keep me on his back.

"Kai?!" Makoto cried in shock.

"Hey, Makoto," I laughed awkwardly as the embarrassment of my action sank in. "You mind if I talk with Haru for a moment?"

"Uh, no," Makoto looked absolutely confused. "I'm supposed to meet with Nagisa and Rei, so I'll go on right ahead. Okay, Haru?"

Haru nodded then began walking off, not letting me off his back.

* * *

"Okay, you're clearly upset," I said, crossing my arms. We were at an empty spot behind the storage building. I could hear students laughing as they ate near the bleachers in the baseball field.

"Why?"

"You're not talking to me obviously," I rolled my eyes. "It's gone off for a week. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"I'm graduating. I'm busy," Haru sighed and began to walk off.

I grabbed hold of his arm. I pushed him against the wall and leaned my head against his chest. "You're acting like a baby," I sighed, lightly thumping my fist on his shoulder. "I know it's about Australia."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Haru said in his usual monotone voice.

My hand curled into a fist in his shirt as my breathing started to speed up. _It's fine_ , I thought. _It's fine. It's just Haru._ "It's just the summer," I said. "I'll still see you before you go off to university." By then, my knuckles had already turned while from my grip on Haru's shirt as I took all I had to grab hold of my bearings.

All of a sudden, I felt Haru's arms wrap around me, pulling me into a tight hug. Everything just seemed to melt away. I took a deep breath and relaxed in his arms. "You're an idiot," I said. "We'll still see each other."

"I know."

I looked up and rested my chin on his chest. He looked at me blankly, but I saw the tightness around his clear blue eyes. "Do you?" I asked.

"A bit," Haru mumbled. "I don't want you to go."

I brightened up. "There 'ya go," I smiled. "You finally admitted it."

Haru looked away, but there a slight blush tinting his cheeks. I couldn't help it, so I stood on the tip of my toes and kissed his cheek. To my glee, his cheeks reddened even further. Haru took hold of my chin and slowly pressed his lips to mine. When I smiled against his lips, he did the same.

"Didn't you say we shouldn't do this at school?" I whispered against his lips.

"You started it," Haru pulled away but left his forehead resting against mine.

"You were being cute."

"I'm not cute."

"Haru-chan? Kai-chan?" I heard Nagisa's voice right around the corner.

When I turned my head, Nagisa was there with Rei and Makoto. Nagisa looked surprised, while Makoto just looked downright shocked with his mouth hung open. Rei was the one who looked composed. Kou, who just appeared last, caught sight of us and looked surprised but had a look that showed that she already expected this.

"I KNEW IT!" Rei and Kou chorused.

* * *

 **Eyyy. So we have about four more chapters left. First kiss, done. First quarrel, done. First time?** **Ahem. I mean, the next chapter will** **probably in two weeks. Hope you like this one.**

 **Leave a review and favorite/follow this story. Love 'ya!**


	13. Chapter 12 (& about that lemon)

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"You've been staring at your phone for a while now," Dad noted while we waited for our flight to Australia to begin boarding.

I snapped out of it and looked at him. "Not really," I said. "I'm just getting bored." I shoved my phone back in my pocket and leaned back in my seat.

"Is it your boyfriend?" Dad smirked knowingly.

"What?" I exclaimed, startled. "No. I don't have a boyfriend. I don't know what you're talking about." Then I bit my tongue because of how bad I lied to my father.

Dad laughed and leaned back on his seat as well then slung his arm over my shoulder. "You know, Kai," he said, "as much as I appreciate your effort of lying to me, your mom already told me."

"You guys are still talking?" I said, mildly shocked.

"We're civil," Dad shrugged. "Who else can I ask about how you're doing? Certainly not your boyfriend." He let out another laugh while my cheeks reddened. "He's on the swim team, right?"

"Yeah," I fidgeted in my seat.

"Relax, Kai. I'm not going to interrogate you. I trust you to make your own decisions and be responsible."

I smiled at Dad. "Of course," I gave him a side hug. "Thanks." I pulled out my phone and checked for a message. _None._ I sighed and shoved it back. "Haru said that he would be coming to say goodbye," I slumped lower in my seat. "We're about to board soon, and he's not yet here."

"Traffic, maybe?" Dad said, patting my back in attempts to cheer me up. "I once missed to say goodbye to your mom when she left for Okinawa. You know what I did?" I shook my head. "I went there myself. Luckily one of our inns just opened so I wasn't completely useless when I got there."

I laughed until tears leaked through my eyes. "The best romantic gesture ever," I smiled a wide-tooth smile. Then I gave him a serious look. "What changed?" I asked. "You never really told me what happened between you and Mom."

Dad's eyes lowered, and for a moment, I thought there were tears welling up in his eyes. "Now's not the time to talk about that," he said. He got up from his seat and pulled me up to my feet. "Let's go. I'm sorry your boyfriend couldn't come."

* * *

"Haru?!" I exclaimed when I saw him in the hotel lobby the next morning. I couldn't believe my eyes, and without any thought of the fact that we were in public, I jumped into his arms and hugged him as tight as I could.

"No hug for me?" I heard a snicker behind me.

I raised my head and found Rin standing right behind us. "You can join in if you want," I smiled cheekily.

Rin laughed and settled for ruffling my hair. "Man, you didn't tell me you were rich," he said, whistling at the sight of the entire hotel. "I would've been nicer to you."

I let Haru set me down. "Well, too late now, sharkie," I stuck out my tongue at him. I turned to Haru. "You guys have a place to stay? Did the rest of the team come along?"

"Nope, just us," Rin shrugged. "I can't have a proper holiday with those idiots around." He took a seat in one of the sofas in the waiting lounge. Haru and I did the same on the sofa opposite to Rin. "We're actually staying at my home stay parents' home. They've grown really fond of Haru since our visit last year," he said.

"You've been here before?" I asked, turning to Haru.

"Yeah."

"You're free to stop by anytime," Rin offered. "If you wanna steal Haru and have him stay some nights in your room, you're free to do that too."

I blushed and whacked Rin with one of the throw pillows.

* * *

"Dinner?" I asked Rin over the phone. Over the past three days, Haru, Rin, and I spent most of our time hanging around beaches and having the occasional races — with Haru beating our butts every time, of course. The highlight of those beach adventures was actually stumbling to a nudist beach.

"Yeah, Russell and Lori are cooking up a dinner to get to know you," Rin said. "Haru is supposed to call you, but you know him and his cellphone."

"Right," I laughed. Haru's swimming trunks and goggles were more useful to him than his phone. "I'll go ask my Dad if he's cool with it. I'll text you later. Bye." I hung up.

I skipped over to my father's office and found his desk with stacks and stacks of papers. His phone was wedged between his shoulder and ear as he browsed through his computer with a file in his other hand. I sat on an empty seat and waited for him to finish his call.

"Yes, I'll go over it first thing tomorrow," Dad said. "Tonight? I'll see if I can manage it tonight. Alright." Then he hung up and fell back on his desk chair, looking haggard and exhausted.

"You want me to help you out with paperwork?" I offered. "You look like you could use a break there, Dad."

"I do indeed," Dad agreed, "but it's all good, Kai." He got off his seat and began stuffing his briefcase with more papers. "I actually have to go to Melbourne tonight. There's an emergency there. You'll be fine on your own, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I'll be back tomorrow by lunch, okay?" Dad said, slamming his briefcase shut. "So, what did you come here for?"

"Oh, right," I said, almost forgetting. "Rin's home stay parents are inviting me over for dinner."

"That's fine," Dad said. "Be back here before eleven, okay?" He cleared up his desk and grabbed his suit jacket. "Well, I have to go now," he kissed the top of my head as goodbye. "Be responsible. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He gave me a wink and left his office.

* * *

"Aren't you lovely?" Lori gave me a hug once I walked in the door. "Come in! I just took out the pie to cool. It's not everyday Rin brings his Japanese friends over."

After sharing introductions with Russell and Lori — even Winnie, the family dog — we all got settled in the dining room in their humble home. Compared to the fancy hotel meals I've been having the entire time I've been here in Australia, Lori's home cooking was definitely better, and I found myself asking for seconds... and thirds.

"I honestly didn't expect that Haru would have a girlfriend first instead of you, Rin," Russell commented, making Rin choke on his fish.

"Are we always going to have this conversation?" Rin rolled his eyes.

"Absolutely," Lori giggled, taking a sip of water. "I've heard that that Charlotte girl moved to Iwatobi. They're having a new swimming program at Samezuka for girls, you see."

I became absolutely curious when Rin turned slightly pink and began finding his salad interesting. "Curious, isn't it?" I whispered over to Haru. He just hummed his agreement and gave my hand a squeeze before he resumed eating. I smiled warmly at him and also returned to my meal.

* * *

"Thank you so much for the meal," I thanked Lori, giving her a hug and shaking Russell's hand. "I was getting sick of fancy cuisines from the hotel restaurant."

"Nothing like home cooking, right?" Russell grinned. "We do hope you'll visit again."

"I certainly will," I promised, slinging my bag on my shoulder. "Bye." I was about to get the door when Haru hurried over and grabbed my hand.

"I'll walk you home," Haru said.

I checked my wristwatch. "It's not that late," I said. "I'll be fine." Haru ignored me and grabbed my hand, pulling me to walk with him.

The cab ride back to the hotel was incredibly silent, but Haru refused to let go of my hand. Even the driver caught sight of it and smiled fondly at the two of us. Once we arrived, Haru still walked me up to my floor and to my door.

"Good night, Haru," I got on my toes and kissed his cheek. Despite his stoic expression, his cheeks betrayed him and flushed a pink shade that made me chuckle.

Haru nodded and began to walk down the hallway back to the lift. I stared at his back as the distance between us grew. I found my tongue and called out to him. He stopped and looked back at me in question.

"Do you want to have some tea before you go?" I asked, spitting out the first excuse I had in my mind.

* * *

"Just take a seat anywhere," I said, putting my bag on a nearby counter. I rushed over to the kitchen corner of my suite and started the kettle. I grabbed some tea bags and set them near the kettle. I opened an overhead cabinet that displayed all the teacups and reached it.

"Damn it," I hissed, standing on my tiptoes trying to reach for the cups but to no success.

Suddenly, a warm body pressed against my back and reached for the cups I needed. I turned and faced Haru as he set the cups on the counter. His hands then trapped me and pushed me against the counter.

"Haru," I whispered before his lips captured mine. My entire skin lit up as Haru pushed himself closer to me, making the counter edge dig into my lower back. Haru, sensing my discomfort, hoisted me up and sat me on the counter, kissing me deeply.

My legs wrapped around his hips as my hands slithered under his shirt, feeling those hard muscles contract from my touch. Pulling away for breath, Haru trailed kisses down to my neck while his hands lowered further down my hips and settled one of them on my thigh. I could feel his hand burning through the fabric of my jeans. I was about to pull off Haru's shirt when a shrill whistle brought us both back to reality.

Haru stepped back to give me space to hop off the counter. Feeling the tension, I coughed off the awkwardness and went to turn off the stove. I poured the boiling water in a teapot and grabbed a tin can where I kept all my tea.

Opening the tin can, I asked Haru, "What tea do you want?" Feeling his burning gaze, I couldn't even look at him in the eyes when I asked him the question. I continued shuffling through the varieties of tea I had, trying to ignore that my heart was about to burst out of my chest.

Haru's hand covered the top of mine. "I don't want tea," he said in that familiar monotone voice. The only difference was how his voice was low and filled with desire.

"What do you want?"

"You."

* * *

 **Bam! Extra long chapter, and eyy, there's an extension of this chapter for those people who wants some lemony action. I'll be setting that chapter on private on my Wattpad account though, so if you're under 17 and not following me there, well. Uhh... Sorry? I just wanted it to be quite stricter in terms of age and at the same time some sort of extra/gift for my followers. Don't worry though. There'll be no important parts to the story in the extension, so you don't actually have to read it.  
**

 **Three chapters to go, and we're on to the next bishie. If you haven't gone on my profile or caught on the foreshadowing of this chapter, go read it. That's all! Hope you loved this chapter.**

 **Leave a review and follow/fave this story!**


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